If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Thefts and Vandalism

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by rough-shunter, Dec 26, 2006.

  1. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    2,895
    Likes Received:
    6,172
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Escapee from the corporate bear-pit
    Location:
    Shropshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Unless it's not an option :-------

    Screenshot 2021-06-08 at 09.21.16.png
     
    jnc and DavidH like this.
  2. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2011
    Messages:
    8,659
    Likes Received:
    6,415
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Enfield
    36183178-D912-480B-8EEE-044E1A9959C6.png

    946F16F6-87A0-402C-98D6-2777D2A62934.png 3A3DA4AB-D24D-4C97-81C8-582C700817AB.png 23BFE11D-2D7A-4A03-BA3A-6DED6FC94E34.png A4D2A0D6-84C6-46E2-AC03-72DF2E475029.png
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2021
  3. oliversbest

    oliversbest Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2011
    Messages:
    814
    Likes Received:
    121
    Do HRs generally have a Director of Security? Does the umbrella organisation have a consultant on this? It is as simple as having a man in place or irregular visits to crime prone locations. Criminals do not like company! It is galling to read of the damage done and more so when volunteer led restorations are involved but in todays milieu Railways must be more vigilant and address this issue as a major problem. You just cannot leave stock etc in isolated locations without surveillance either by persons.or technology, donors pockets are getting stretched thin these days without preventable losses repeating all too frequently.
     
    jnc likes this.
  4. DavidH

    DavidH New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2016
    Messages:
    72
    Likes Received:
    95
    Location:
    North East England
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Nothing is ever simple with computers ...
     
  5. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,731
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I know how much my church pays in insurance premiums, and how much work we have to do to keep it that low. That's in a town centre, and with CCTV etc.

    I'm very reluctant to criticise others for being unable to give security the attention it possibly warrants, when it is one of a number of "must do" activities and contributes nothing in itself to the objectives of the organisation.
     
    jnc likes this.
  6. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2005
    Messages:
    1,653
    Likes Received:
    2,564
    Occupation:
    UK & Ireland Heritage Railways Webmaster
    Location:
    Ruabon, Wrexham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  7. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Yes it is ..... SISO ..... simples! ;)
     
  8. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    Messages:
    3,906
    Likes Received:
    3,704
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    South Hams
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The damage to the coach and the fire of the wagon must be heartbreaking for all at the S7C railway.
     
  9. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
  10. Hando

    Hando New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2020
    Messages:
    31
    Likes Received:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cornwall (was Leicestershire)
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  11. Robin

    Robin Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    May 7, 2012
    Messages:
    1,393
    Likes Received:
    1,747
    Location:
    Stourbridge
  12. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
    Messages:
    1,339
    Likes Received:
    421
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I see a railway sadly had an attack on its dining coaches whilst stored in a siding, they are doing an assessment. Could be the insurance company might request security improvements?

    Also last year the Dartmoor Railway Association which at some stage hopes to restart a heritage service between Okehampton and Meldon had problems with remote sidings, from its website.

    Meldon March 16th 2022

    Geoff Horner reports that a largish working party assembled at Meldon to board up the broken windows with plywood. This should be more weatherproof than the previous tarpaulin cover, and hopefully of little interest to vandals other than a clean target for even more pointless graffiti.
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023
  13. 80104

    80104 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Messages:
    679
    Likes Received:
    451
    Location:
    a small town in germany
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    [/QUOTE]
    I am deeply saddened to hear this. I seriously wonder just what you can do to protect rolling stock from vandalism. Whilst CCTV is much touted, how many cameras would be needed to give coverage to the extent that you could be reasonably sure that all rolling stock is covered and in such a way that you could get high quality images? Even then you have the problem of identifying the culprits.

    Breaking into carriages etc does require the culprits to physically be "at the carriage" but what about the instances where it appears that air rifles or BB guns are used solely to smash windows?
     
  14. StoneRoad

    StoneRoad Member

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2009
    Messages:
    923
    Likes Received:
    352
    Occupation:
    Restoration of heritage items, mainly in timber.
    Location:
    Haltwhistle
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Sadly, about the only thing that really protects rolling stock is for it to be inside a properly designed and secured building, including cctv and night security.

    Unfortunately, that doesn't include landmines and a piranhas / saltwater croc filled moat ...
     
  15. 80104

    80104 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Messages:
    679
    Likes Received:
    451
    Location:
    a small town in germany
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Yes indeed but even that policy has some downsides.

    It seems a facetious and stupid comment to make but it may be cheaper to deal with the occasional outbreak of vandalism rather than go to all the expense of constructing buildings, outfitting them with cctv etc, maintaining them etc etc.

    How many of us have cars and garages but do not put the car away at night as we judge the risk of vandalism or theft is lower than the aggro factor / inconvenience cost of garaging the car?
     
  16. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2014
    Messages:
    1,720
    Likes Received:
    3,186
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Over the hills and far away
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Rottweilers, perhaps ? They do like to play with unannounced visitors. :Blackalien::Blackalien::rolleyes:
     
  17. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,731
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    There are laws about what you can do with said visitors.
     
  18. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Deleted
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2023
  19. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    14,318
    Likes Received:
    16,396
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired, best job I've ever had
    Location:
    Buckinghamshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Perhaps just a sign like the one I encountered on the side of a barn many years ago. It had a picture of a Rottweilers head with the message underneath; ‘ the remains of trespassers will be prosecuted’. The dog didn’t exist but apparently the farmer had no further pilfering and theft after putting it up!
    If a guard dog is used the the advice is not to use a sign that says; beware of the dog. If the beast does bite a chunk out of an intruder’s leg it could be argued as an admission that you keep a dangerous dog, it’s why most signs you see no just have a dog’s picture with the words, ‘I live here’.
     
    The Dainton Banker likes this.
  20. Rumpole

    Rumpole Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2005
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    761
    Occupation:
    Tea-Maker
    Location:
    34105
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Reminds me of a house just down the road from me, which has a notice that says 'Dogs close the gate'.

    It says nothing about what humans should do.
     

Share This Page